Northern Edge 2008, the largest air-centric joint military training exercise to be held in Alaska this year, begins May 5 with about 5,000 active duty, National Guard, and Reserve personnel and 120 aircraft participating from bases across the Pacific region. The aircraft include B-52Hs, E-3 AWACS platforms, F-15s, F-16s, F-22s, HC-130s, KC-135s, HH-60 helicopters, and F/A-18 Hornets. Alaskan Command is hosting the event, with most aircraft operating either from Eielson Air Force Base or Elmendorf Air Force Base. They will use the airspace throughout the Pacific Alaska Range Complex and the Gulf of Alaska. (Eielson report)
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
